Pennsylvania Game Commission bear biologist Mark Ternent
says "there's never been a better time to hunt bears" in Pennsylvania.

The 2013 bear hunting seasons, which begin Monday, Nov. 18, with
the five-day archery bear season, come on the heels of two of the state's top
harvests. Last year, hunters killed 3,632 bears, the third largest harvest ever
in Pennsylvania. The harvest record of 4,350 bears was set in 2011.

And, according to Ternent, with a bear population that
continues to grow – currently estimated at 16,000-18,000 – there's no reason to
believe that the harvest this year won't rank right up there with those years.

The number of bears available to hunters is one factor that
will help to determine the harvest. Another is the number of bear hunters,
which the commission also expects to be up this year.

To participate in bear hunting in Pennsylvania, a hunter
needs a general hunting license and a bear license, which can be purchased
until the day before the statewide, four-day, general bear season that opens
Saturday, Nov. 23, and again after the close of the general season on
Wednesday, Nov. 27.

A third factor in the bear harvest will be the weather.
Fresh tracking snow on the ground assists hunters in locating bears. Severe
weather during the season can limit the number of hunters afield and their bear-pushing
movements.

Hunters today have more opportunity to hunt bear across more
of Pennsylvania than they have for generations.

"Nowadays it's getting increasingly harder to identify our
so-called best bear hunting counties, because opportunities are becoming
increasingly better throughout so much of the state," said Ternent.

Hunters harvested bear in 56 of the state's 67 counties last
year, and the state routinely sees harvests in at least 50 counties. That wasn't
remotely possible just 30 years ago, when bear populations were more
concentrated in the traditional bear-hunting areas of northcentral and
northeastern Pennsylvania.

The expanding bear population and range has led the Game
Commission to try various extended season plans in areas of high or potentially
high human-bear conflict. This year that means an extended bear season exists
in wildlife management units 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, where bear season is open
concurrent to the archery, early muzzleloader and firearms deer seasons, and in
wildlife management units 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4D and 4E, where there will be
extended season on bear concurrent with portions of the firearms deer season.

However, bears everywhere in the state likely will be more concentrated around
available food sources. This fall's crop of acorns – an important pre-hibernation
food for bears – is spotty.

That places increase importance on pre-season scouting by
hunters, who will need to locate the spots of plenty.

"Hunters might need to do more homework than usual this
year," Ternent said. "Bears will shift around to find food, and those hunters
who scout for areas with better foods, whether it's acorns, beechnuts, black
cherry or agricultural fields, will have an advantage. That doesn't mean the
hunter who heads to his usual spot won't find bear sign; he just might see more
or less of it depending on the local food conditions."